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Ka whakapä, Ka whakapiri, Ka tutuki
Communicating, living, achieving
The National Foundation for the Deaf Inc. 2008
Listen LOUD
and LOSE it DEAF AWARENESS WEEK
22-28 SEPTEMBER 2008
A startling new survey
conducted by the NFD shows
nearly half of New Zealand’s
young people have potentially
damaged their hearing by the
time they reach age 25.
Used to having a choice of
when and where they enjoy
their music, Generation Y are
blasting their ears for the
greater part of every day on
iPods, car stereos and laptops.
Health professionals are starting to see the kind of hearing loss
in younger people typically found in aging adults, says Wellington
Hospital audiology team leader
“You only get one set Sargunam Sivaraj.
of ears to last your “Today hearing loss is one of the
leading and fastest growing serious
whole life so you need disabilities in our modern society,”
to treat them right.” Mr Sivaraj says, with one third of all
types of hearing loss attributable to
exposure to excessive noise and loud music.
Mr Sivaraj warns that our ears are not created to cope with
www.nfd.org.nz
loud noises. “You only get one set of ears to last your whole life
so you need to treat them right.”
It is not just the volume that music is being listened to but the
number of hours that is causing the damage. 85dB for 8 hours a day
is deemed a safe limit but turn that up by just 3dB, and you need
To see more on DEAF to drop the exposure time by half, i.e. four hours to keep within a
AWARENESS WEEK and healthy range of exposure. So listening to 95dB would be safe for
New Zealand musicians’ about 30 minutes per day. A concert can get as loud as 120dB.
Hearing loss can greatly affect education, employment and it
views on protecting their hearing, can have a major impact on a person’s quality of life through
go to NFD’s Bebo page at impaired communication and social isolation.
http://www.bebo.com/nfdnz. But a devil-may-care attitude rules many of the 18-25 year
olds surveyed who have already experienced symptoms of
hearing damage. continued inside
NFD 205 Parnell Rd, Parnell, Auckland 1052
PO Box 37729, Parnell, Auckland 1151 Phone / TTY 09 307 2922 To donate: Cheques made payable to the National Foundation for the
or 0800 867 446 Fax 09 307 2923 or 0800 332 343 Deaf Inc. can be posted to the NFD, PO Box 37729, Parnell, Auckland 1151.
Email enquiries@nfd.org.nz Web www.nfd.org.nz
The National Foundation for the Deaf Inc.
The disturbing new survey
from the NFD shows that
r
Loud
nearly half of New Zealand ’s
youth have suffered some
hearing damage by the
time they reach age 25.
Fashion
This Deaf Awareness
Week we really want
to drive the message home
to 18-25 year olds that listening to music
is great but not so loud and not so long.
We have talked to a number of musicians The t-shirts are
who are in their 20s that already have available to buy for $30.
permanent damage to their hearing Email loudfashion@gmail.com
because of prolonged exposure to loud
noise and it is with their support that
we will take our messages to young
music lovers.
One unhealthy trend that was highlighted
by our research was that 18-25 year olds
are listening to music for many hours
every day – a frightening 12% listen to
music for 8 to12 hours per day! Noise pollution
If we can educate this age group
about the importance of looking after
their hearing and get them to turn down
the volume, even slightly, then we will
– making us sick
have made a difference in the long term. Traffic, noisy neighbours, building noise, leaf blowers, trucks,
Otherwise in 20 years time, there is buses, booming car stereo systems – are just a few of the
going to be a heavy burden laid at the culprits polluting our lives and making us sick.
audiologists’ doors. We’ve known for decades that super-loud sound can deafen
During Deaf Awareness Week watch
out for a great television commercial us. But damaged hearing is just the beginning. A plane flying
and print advertising campaign done by overhead or a snoring bed-mate can increase blood pressure and
advertising agency, DDB. Once again they heart rate and send stress hormones surging into the bloodstream.
have generously donated their time and This chain of events can create health problems when it happens
creativity to develop some wonderful all night long, every night of the week. The ability of children to learn
work. We have published two of the is compromised by noise and it may worsen some mental illnesses.
advertisements from the campaign in George Dodd of the New Zealand Acoustical Society says recorded
this issue which alerts people to the fact noise complaints in Auckland and Christchurch have clearly risen over
that everyday sounds can be harmful at the last 2-3 years with the growth in numbers not able to be explained
prolonged and high volumes. simply by our increase in population. Statistics are mostly around noisy
We will also be working with other neighbours – their TVs and other home entertainment systems, children
member groups and hearing sector
professions to uncover relevant stories and barking dogs.
with which to target key news media. “A factor may well be that we are seeing a societal increase in self-
I am very excited about what we have centredness and less caring for, and taking less responsibility towards
lined up for this year’s Deaf Awareness one’s neighbours. It’s my concern too that our housing (especially
Week and it promises to be our best yet. apartments and townhouses) is simply not built to standards which are
I would like to finish with a thank sufficient to cope with the sound levels that are part of modern living.”
you to Southern Trust for their generous On one hand there is industrial noise and leisure activity noise, such
support of this issue of Vibrations.
I do hope you enjoy reading it.
Warm wishes
QOUTE
Marianne Schumacher “When you stumble, keep faith. And, when
Executive Manager
you’re knocked down, get right back up and
This issue of Vibrations was produced with never listen to anyone who says you can’t or
the kind assistance of The Southern Trust
shouldn’t go on.” H I L L A RY C L I N T O N
A group of enterprising Gisborne high school students are “The t-shirts illustrate that turning up your music
hoping ‘wearing it loud’ will help turn down the volume to 11 in order to party hard will come at a cost,” says
among their peers and protect their hearing. Loud Fashion managing director Keegan Platten.
As part of the modern generation of iPod listeners, Keegan says the group believes hearing protection is
the four Campion College business studies students have a vital issue for young New Zealanders because of the
created a business to make money and raise awareness of popularity of iPods and Mp3 players and the perceived
the permanent damage that long exposure to loud music ‘uncoolness’ of listening sensibly.
can cause. “We know that many younger people, especially teens,
T-shirts printed with “Loud Fashion” and a large aren’t limiting or monitoring the volume that they’re
volume dial going from One to Deaf will be sold by the listening to music players. As teenagers ourselves, we
group at a stall in the Gisborne township as part of their hope that by selling these t-shirts we can get the message
business studies course criteria. A portion of the across that there are real, severe consequences to high
proceeds will be donated to the NFD. levels of noise.”
Amsterdam were more likely to need sleep medication,
take pills for heart disease and high blood pressure and
report poor general health.
In New Zealand we are continuously exposed to new
sources of noise. For example we are beginning to see
more wind turbine generators being built to make use
of the renewable energy source, however their potential
for significant noise annoyance is a concern for any
developments near to dwellings.
It’s not all depressing and neighbourhood wars though
– technological advances and legislation are working to
help. Acoustical engineers are finding ways to reduce noise
in hospitals, prisons and schools, while road surfaces are
constantly refined. Laws are cracking down on building
codes, pub-noise, car stereos and mufflers, while anti-noise
groups are proposing bans on car alarms, leaf blowers and
as rock concerts and iPod use that can cause hearing loss setting time frames for construction work and rubbish
and-or tinnitus. On the other hand there is environmental collection.
noise caused by road or aircraft traffic which can trigger We can help control noise where we live by paying
stress responses. attention to designing good dwellings with improved
Long term exposure to environmental noise, especially construction and being considerate of our neighbours
at night, causes chronic disturbance of the natural by limiting sounds we make outdoors – not using
sleep pattern – even if we don’t stir from our slumber. loudspeakers on decks or with windows open and shutting
Neurosis, hysteria, anxiety, stress, nausea, aggression, off car alarms and car-lock beeps.
argumentativeness and social conflict are just a few of the Now worried that a snoring spouse may shorten your
emotional problems linked to uncontrolled noise. lifespan? Try some earplugs – there’s no evidence yet you’ll
According to a 2004 study published in the British live longer but at least you’ll sleep better.
Medical Journal, people living near the Schiphol Airport in
cover story continued
Three quarters of those surveyed who listen to music regularly said it
sounds better louder (above the safe level where it still sounds good). Many
also said they wouldn’t wear ear plugs because they believed they affect
sound quality and didn’t want to look uncool.
“We have a significant challenge ahead of us,” says Mr Sivaraj. “Given the
serious health and social consequences of hearing impairment, its increasing
prevalence is a real cause for concern.
“Preventing hearing loss should become a national health priority
otherwise a considerable portion of health funding will be spent on hearing loss rehabilitation and providing hearing aids.
The allocated funding will never be sufficient to fulfil everyone’s hearing needs,” he says.
S
SNIPPETS
A FRIEND IN LAW
The Auckland Disability Law is a free community legal
service in the Auckland region aiming to help disabled
people access legal services and increase awareness
of disability law. For more info go to
www.aucklanddisability.co.nz or call 09 257 5140.
(See the full list on www.acoustics.ac.nz)
Lip-reading would be an advantage
Take earplugs at the very least
Boisterous but not too bad
Comfortable conversation
The place to be and be heard
In each issue of Vibrations we feature some of the restaurants
that have been rated for noise by members of the public.
If you want to rate a restaurant just answer seven simple questions
relating to how sound levels Contact Christa at the NFD or
SHARE YOUR TALENTS visit www.acoustics.ac.nz for a rating sheet.
Webby Talents is a new forum and free video hosting Robbies
website for people with disabilities. By hosting a broad Church Corner, Christchurch
base of videos that highlight the many talents of people
with disabilities, it seeks to “sweep away preconceived
ideas about people with disabilities”. To post a video on Saints
the site go to http://webbytalents.com or for more info Hanmer Springs, Christchurch
email team@webbytalents.com.
LOUD SHIRT DAY
Register your workplace or QUIZ
organisation to take part in Loud Shirt
Day on Friday 19 September 2008
and raise money for the annual appeal
of The Hearing House and the Southern We have three sets of Etymotic ER 20 ear
Cochlear Implant Paediatric Programme. plugs to give away from Ear Buddies. These
On Loud Shirt Day everyone wears earplugs reduce sound by 20dB across the
their loudest and brightest shirts to range without muffling sound, so speech
work and donates to the charities & music stay perfectly clear.
dedicated to enable deaf children get cochlear For more information see
implants. To register go to www.loudshirtday.co.nz. www.EarBuddies.co.nz.
GYM DANGEROUS FOR EARS
Going to a gym may be harmful for our ears, according to Question:
a study from George Mason University in Virginia, USA.
The blaring music is so loud that it can become dangerous. What portion of all types of hearing
The study recorded noise levels that were generally loss is attributable to exposure to
between 100 and 110dB, which are 30 to 40dB above the excessive noise and loud music?
recommended levels.
Please send your name, address, contact number and the
THE BIONIC EAR’S 30TH BIRTHDAY answer to: Vibrations Quiz, c/- The NFD, PO Box 37729,
After three decades since its Australian inventor was
Parnell, Auckland.
told he was mad, the bionic ear has helped 120,000 deaf
people around the world to hear. The bionic ear was first
successfully implanted at Melbourne’s Royal Victorian Eye
and Ear Hospital on August 1, 1978 in Rod Saunders who WINNER
had lost his hearing in a car crash. OUR $20 TELEPHONE DONATION WINNER
PUFFING LINKED TO HEARING LOSS Congratulations to Matthew & Megan McCulley from
Ashburton who are the recent lucky winners of $1000
Smoking is a risk factor in the development of age-related
worth of vouchers from House of Travel. As part of the NFD’s
hearing loss, one of the largest ever studies into risk factors
fundraising efforts, all people who donate $20 to the foundation
for hearing loss has found. The study by the University of
through the ongoing telemarketing programme, go into a draw to
Antwerp concluded that people who smoke regularly for
win $1000 of vouchers. To make a donation, please call
more than one year had worse hearing than 0900 66610, 0900 66620, or 0900 66650 (for $10, $20 or $50).
those who had never smoked and that
the more you smoke the greater the
DISCLAIMER: Vibrations aims to share views and opinions from a broad range of people and
severity of hearing loss could be. organisations on matters affecting deaf and hearing impaired New Zealanders. The stories that
appear in this publication are not necessarily the views held by the NFD.
NFD member groups are:
• Hearing Association of NZ • NZ Federation for Deaf Children Inc • NZ Audiological
Society • NZ Acoustical Society Inc • Deafness Research Foundation • NZ Society of
Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery
